You are here

Beyond the Veil; Women and Change in the Middle East

Mahnaz Afkhami, president of the Women's Learning Partnership and Diane Singerman, associate professor in the Department of Government at American University's School of Public Affairs

When Egyptian women gained the right to no-fault divorce in 2001, they achieved a remarkable victory. In building the parliamentary coalition they needed, their first recourse was to respected Muslim clerics who agreed with their interpretation of traditional Islamic Law. The result of the effort was typical of the ways in which women are bringing about change throughout the middle-east. Mahnaz Afkhami and Diane Singerman analyze methods employed and challenges faced by women in a variety of Middle Eastern countries.